1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game program production method, a game system, and a recording medium used in role playing games.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, proposals have been made about many and various game systems and also made about a wide variety of video or television games used in these game systems. For example, such games include simulation games, role playing games, fighting games, and puzzle games.
Among these games, the role playing games are such that the player becomes the main character in the game and has various experiences within the game space along the lines of the story set up within the program. It is a recent trend that such role playing games tend to become more complex and longer as the game systems become more advanced. Accordingly, some role playing games require up to 50 hours from start to finish. In such long role playing games, usually all data up to the stage reached by a player is stored in a memory card that can be attached to or detached from the game system. When the player plays a next time, the game can be continued and be progressive to the next stage by reading the data from the memory card attached to the game system.
Herein, it is to be noted that players playing a long role playing game do not always necessarily want to play the game continuously. Sometimes, a player may neither want to play such a game nor may play the game for a long period of time. When a situation continues such that a game has been interrupted on the way of the game or is not used for a long time, a player may sometimes lose interest in the game.
On the other hand, a player""s interest even in a long role playing game tends to weaken once the game is cleared or comes to an end. Therefore, consumers are always expecting role playing games to have more variations and are wanting games that they do not tire of.
To the contrary, it is very laborious and time consuming for software developers developing role playing games to develop long role playing games. This trend is becoming more pronounced as game systems become more advanced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game program production method for producing programs for games with substantial variation that can maintain a player""s interest over a long period of time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game program production method that can reduce the labor and time imposed on software developers and furthermore that can create games with a wide variety of the scenarios provided.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game system that can be finished in a relatively short period of time, that can enjoy each game with substantial variation as a single game unit, and that can readily lengthen games by combining a plurality of single game units.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a recording medium for storing programs for the above games.
A method to which the present invention is applicable is for use in producing a game program that executes a game in accordance with a story. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of preparing a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios each equipped with end conditions, selecting a first one of the partial programs that has a first one of the end conditions, and determining, from the partial programs, a second one of the partial programs that has a second one of the partial programs in accordance with the first end condition of the first partial program, on the condition that the second partial program continues with the first partial program in the story. In this way, the partial programs for partial scenarios are combined to create the story.
Thus, in the game program production method according to the present invention, combinations of programs, namely, partial programs for partial scenarios can be used to create games with abundant variety.
Therefore, combining partial scenarios programs with one another in a substantially random manner can create various different stories and, players can thus enjoy the game as played along each story line.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a game system is capable of executing a game in accordance with a story and player operations. The game system comprises storage means for storing a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios that partially define the story and that are each equipped with end conditions and scenario processing means, operable in response to the player operation, for determining a first one of the partial programs for the first partial scenario that makes up a first part of the story, and for selectively determining a second one of the partial programs for the second stage partial scenario, that follows the first partial program for the first stage partial scenario, so that the story continues from the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario. The first and the second partial programs for the first and the second partial scenario are combined to create the story.
A computer-readable recording medium according to still another aspect of the present invention is for use in executing a game according to a story and player operations. The recording medium comprises the steps of determining a first one of partial programs for the first partial scenario that executes a first part of the story in accordance with the player operations by selecting a plurality of partial programs for partial scenarios that execute parts of the story and that are each equipped with end conditions and selectively determining, among the plurality of the partial programs for the partial scenarios, a second one of the partial programs for the second partial scenario that follows the first partial program for the first stage partial scenario with reference to the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario on the condition that the second partial program can continue the story from the end condition of the first partial program for the first partial scenario. The story is composed of a combination of the partial programs for partial scenarios.
Using such a recording medium can enjoy various games with different stories by managing programs for a plurality of partial scenarios.